Photography News Issue 68

Camera test 46

Photography News | Issue 68 | photographynews.co.uk

Panasonic Lumix G90 Panasonic’s latest introduction in the MFT market is a hybrid camera offering a tempting mix of still and video functions and options – it’s attractively priced, too

Specs

Prices Panasonic Lumix G90 body £899, with Lumix GVario 12-60mm f/3.5-5.6 AsphOIS zoom£1079, with GVario 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 £1259 Sensor LiveMOS sensor with supersonic wave cleaning filter, 20.3megapixels Sensor format 17.3x13mm, 5184x3888pixels in 4:3 format ISO range 200-25,600, ISO 100 extended Shutter range 60secs to 1/4000sec. B to a maximumof 30mins Electronic shutter 1sec to 1/16,000sec Flash sync 1/200sec Drivemodes Up to 9fps withmechanical/ electronic shutter Burst speed 30fps Metering system 1728 Vzone, centre-weighted, spot Exposuremodes PASM Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 0.3EV steps Monitor OLED, 2.36k dots, eye sensor Viewfinder OLED, 3in, 1040k dots, 100%view Focusing Contrast AFwith DFD technology, working range -4-18 (ISO 100) Focus points Up to 49 points, single zone, custom multi, pinpoint AF, tracking 4Kphoto 30fps Video 4K 3840x2160 24p/25p/30p Full HD 1920x1080, MP4 format Image stabiliser Five-axis in-body image stabiliser, 5EV benefit Connectivity USB 2.0, HDMI, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Other key features Creative filters, integral flash GN9 (ISO 200/m), time lapse, silent shutter, live view composite, headphone andmicrophone input, dust and splash resistant Storagemedia 1xSD card Dimensions (wxhxd) 130.4x93.5x77.4mm Weight 533g body and battery Contact Panasonic.co.uk

contrast detect AF system using the brand’s Depth from Defocus (DFD) technology. It also has live view composite capture, too, which will appeal to keen astro shooters among others, because it means brighter, lit areas of the scene do not burn out while you gain more detail in dark areas. In this mode, the camera (inmanual mode) takes a series of exposures at set times with its electronic shutter for up to three hours and combines them as it goes along and saves them as a single file. You just watch the image build and stop the exposure when you want to. For a camera at this price level, the build is impressive and the G90 feels robust in the hands. Then there’s the added benefit of being dust and splash resistant, while the hand-grip is a good size and perfect for my hand. It’s actually a relatively largeMFT cameraandsignificantlybiggerthan, say, my Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II – this isnot a criticismandactually a good thing.

Words and images by Will Cheung

Panasonic’s recent energies have gone into its full-frame mirrorless S Series and very impressedwith it we are, too. Of course, the brand is also seriously committed to the Micro Four Thirds format so it is good to know that Panasonic hasn’t taken its eye off that particular ball. The LumixG90 is its latest arrival in the MFT market and it has the potential to be a still/video hybrid. It is a mirrorless 20-megapixel camera using a Live MOS sensor and features Panasonic’s latest image stabilisation mode called Dual I.S. 2, which offers a 5EV benefit, 4K video with no limit on recording time (assuming enough memory and battery, of course) and a fully articulating monitor to attract vloggers. That is just the tip of the feature iceberg; the G90 can also shoot at 6fps with AE/AF tracking, has 4K photo features, including focus bracketing and a